When we reviewed it, Virginia was gearing up to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the landing of America's first permanent English-speaking colonists here in April of 1607. That small band had a rough start at Jamestown, but within a few years the beautiful and bountiful land they called Virginia had greatly rewarded them for their courageous efforts. They first set foot on a sandy Atlantic Ocean beach at Cape Charles, at the mouth of one of the world's great estuaries, the Chesapeake Bay. Beyond them lay a varied, rich, and scenic land. They settled beside one of the great tidal rivers whose tributaries led their descendants through the rolling hills of the Piedmont, over the Blue Ridge Mountains, and into the great valleys beyond.
Today, the history-loving Commonwealth of Virginia abounds with historic homes and plantations, buildings that rang with revolutionary oratory, museums that recall the bloody Civil War fought on its soil, and small towns that seem little changed since colonial times.
Fortunately, preservation hasn't been limited to historical landmarks. Conservation efforts have kept a great deal of Virginia's wilderness looking much as it did in 1607, making the state a prime destination for lovers of the great outdoors. Whether you like to hike, bike, bird watch, fish, canoe, or boat -- or just lie on a sandy beach -- Virginia has an abundance of places to indulge your passion.
In this guide, I choose what I consider to be the best of the best. Bear in mind that it's just an overview to get you started. You'll surely come up with your own "bests" as you travel through the state.
